Mesh Optical Technologies: Reinventing Optical Transceivers
Mesh Optical Technologies, a burgeoning startup located in Los Angeles, is making waves in the tech industry. The company owes its inception to three engineers, Travis Brashears, Cameron Ramos, and Serena Grown-Haeberli. This experienced trio honed their skills while working at SpaceX, where they were instrumental in developing optical communications links that maintain constant contact with thousands of Starlink internet satellites.
From SpaceX to Mesh Optical Technologies
Now, these three engineers have embarked on a new venture as co-founders of Mesh Optical Technologies, which recently announced a whopping $50 million Series A funding round led by Thrive Capital. The funding signals the tech world’s recognition of the potential held by this ambitious startup and its founders.
Revolutionizing Optical Transceiver Market
Mesh Optical Technologies is focused on mass-producing optical transceivers. These devices play a crucial role in converting optical signals from fiber or laser into electrical signals that computers can process. The realization of the need for such a product came about when Brashears, Ramos, and Grown-Haeberli were working on a new generation of compute-intensive SpaceX satellites. They were compelled to evaluate the optical transceiver market, and identified its limitations and potential for improvement.
Importance of Optical Transceivers in AI and Data Centers
Optical transceivers are especially significant for data centers that train and operate large deep learning models. The reason behind this is that they enable multiple GPUs to function in unison. The potential of this technology is exemplified by AOI, a U.S. supplier that secured a $4 billion contract to supply components for AWS data centers in 2025. The importance of optical transceivers in AI and data center operations cannot be overstated. As CEO Brashears explains, “Someone will brag about a million GPU cluster; you have to multiply by four to five for the number of transceivers in that cluster.”
Manufacturing Goals and Market Dynamics
Mesh Optical Technologies has set a goal to manufacture a thousand units per day within the year. By doing so, they aim to qualify for bulk orders in 2027 and 2028. The optical transceiver market is currently dominated by Chinese firms. However, Mesh sees an opportunity in establishing its supply chain outside of China, which could provide an advantage in the face of potential trade restrictions and national security concerns.
AI, Data Centers and National Security
“If AI is the most important technology in several generations (which we believe to be true), to have critical parts of AI data center capex run through misaligned/competitive countries is a problem,” Thrive Partner Philip Clark shared with TechCrunch. He sees Mesh as a solution to the pressing need for better ways to interconnect if we are to continue scaling AI. The challenge for Mesh lies in implementing lights-out, automated manufacturing techniques, which are not yet common in U.S. industry.
Innovative Design and Efficiency
By integrating design and production, Mesh hopes to create more efficient and cost-effective components. Their current design eliminates one commonly used but power-hungry component, which Ramos believes could reduce GPU cluster power usage by 3% to 5%. This kind of efficiency is crucial for hyperscalers seeking to maximize the effectiveness of their systems.
The Future of Mesh Optical Technologies
But Mesh isn’t stopping at data centers. The company envisions optical wavelength communications as the future of communications technology. As Brashears told TechCrunch, “The world has primarily focused on [radio frequencies] for a long time. We want to be at the precipice of transition from RF to photonics…we want to interconnect everything, and not just computers, but that’s where we’re starting.”
Read more about Mesh Optical Technologies and their ambitious goals Here.
